Electrical plug-and-socket connection



Patented Dec. 10, 1929 UMTED'STATEES PATENT OFFICE 'HOWARD B'. JONES, or nvANs'roN, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRICAL" rLUe-AND-socxn'r CONNECTION Appicatpion mea January 2, l1925. serial No. 145.

This invention relates tO improvements in interlitting plug and socket members for mak-l ing electrical connections. More specically` the present improvements relate to means for making a single connection' as distinguished -from multiple plug-and-socket devices.

The chief objects are to provide a simple,

cheap and highly eiiicient plug-and-socket device Which occupies but small space, which is neat and attractivein appearance, and Which may be easily and readily manipulated.`

In the drawings Figure 1 shows completev my improved plugandesocket members in the exact size ontheoriginal drawings em Y ployed by me tor connecting ,the 'free ends of lead Wires; Fig2 is an enlarged medial longitudinalsection of the-combineddevice of Fig. l; Figs.,` 3 ande are sectional vievvs cor responding respectivelyl vvithlthe socket and plug members of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing a modification of the structure of Fig. 3; Fig'. 6 lis avvievv'sihowvingfthe plug and socket members r`in' act-ual! size on the original drawings as employed byA- mein a form ofV combined1 device `"adapted or'iuse with a panel board 'or the like 5 and Fig.v 7 is sectional view-of the devicev ofl open at bothy ends.H vAtv 11 it isfinteriorly' screw-threaded to receive the vmetallic.socket 'element 12 having a forwardly progecting cylindrical Ipart 13 provided with a coaxialv recess orboring14c, preferablyflaredor gradually enlarged at its outeropenendat 15, 4toiloosely thef'contact-stem 16, WhichV in-my receive the contact stem 16 of the plug member. vThe socket elementi 12 has a portion adjacent to the cylindrical part 13 which is exteriorly threaded to engage the threaded portion of the housing 10 at 11, and it has a cylindrical stem-like part 17, of a reduced i" v'diameter extending Well into the hollOW'interior of the housing 10, and the end of this stem 17 is recessed at 18 to provide a seat for the electrical conduit or leady Wire 19 and a body of solder 20 for holding the lead Wire -`.strongly and with good electrical connection to the socket element part 17 The end opening at 21 leading into the casing or housing l0 is preferably just large enough to accommodate easily the insulation-thickened lead Wire, and thusthe housing member 10 encompassesftherough end or" the insulation and the visible union between the insulation and the housing 10 is neat and attractive, a feature oli' much importance in electrical instrumental Work. vFurtherniore, theinsula-` the structure carried by it, relieving the solderedv portiony of the Wireoi considerable tionon the Wire thusserves as a support i'o'r strain and -bendingvvhen the Wire is moved about. `The same advantages are had at the righth'and end of Fig. 2. l Y

Referring to Fig; 5 vthe housing member 22 v is interiorlyfthreaded 'at `23 and the stem orV reduced portion 24 ot the socketY element is exteriorly threaded to engage the Vthreads at 23 lWhile an annular seat `25 is provided for y the' cylindrical projecting socket element.,y

Referring to Figs. 2 and 4,' the, plug member comprises a `housing or casing 30 Which is of the same outer diameter as that 'of the housing of the! socket member. vIt has a holloW cylindrical interior open at its'ltorward end and O a diameter only slightly larger than'that'of the cylindrical fsocketelement part 13 vvhereby the part 13 Vintertits snugly with the vhousing member 30.v Y, The housing Y 30 has apartat 31 Which is slightly reduced in diameter and whichv is interiorly threaded to receive the exteriorly threaded supporting member 32, inmypractice of metal such as brass. l This part32 has a coaxial holeV or boring l33 through it adaptedv to receive practice is 'in-the form of a cotter'pin of brass, the legs of which extend'well*forvvard` beyond the "supporting member ,'32 and to a] materially- -large extent lie'vvithin the housing 30. The loose or lioating character of the split' ontwopart ,contact` lstem' provides a verymuc'hfmore satisfactoryv connection than if'it VWere held rigidly by the supporting member.

'Theheadgo'f 'the Cotter-pin contact stem'is il.

Aaccommodated in a portion of the hollow interior of the housing, which portion is reduced at 34 forming an end opening or passageway for the insulted lead wire 35, which wire is given a turn around the head of the Cotter pin and soldered to it. In providing the passageway 34 of reduced diameter an annular shoulder 36 is formed which prevents the head of the Cotter-pin 'frommovin'g inward when pressure is applied upon lthe legs thereof, as by inserting them in recess 14 of the socket `element.H The supporting member 32 is `yprovided with a diametrical sawcut? whichm'ay be reached by a screwdriverinserted between` the legs of the cotter-pin for assembling it orl for removingit should it-be desired to` replace a worncotter pin or renew a connection between the cotter pin* and the. wire.

Thestructure thusffar described is adapted for use where there are free ends of wiresv to Vbe connected electrically and disconneeted from time to time., It willbe noted that the relatively long and narrow housing members are only so slightly larger in diameter than the coveredlead wires as'not to producel anobjectionable mass on the wire; that the partsare Very easily `united andy separated and that through the double interfit of-parts,

namely the housing B()v uponjthe projecting {"0 socket element 13 and-the springy legs v16 in the recess 14, an unusually strongwj oint-` .is effected whereby the parts will not become pulling? separatedk without )substantial strains. The structure as a whole 1s, unusually smalland neat in appearanca!I Referring to Figs. 6 and 7, the housingV member 30 Vand associated vparts are the same-jjv a's'shown in Fig. A4. The differences to be notedare in the socket member-whichincludes a cylindrical metallic socket *elementg4 40 adapted to intertnicely with the housing 30 and having a recess for receiving thelegs ofi-the .contactstem 16 asalready described in:v connection. with the corresponding l`part 13,01 lFig.l 3.1 Thesocket elementofFigf?v Vhas a cylindrical part or stem 41 of reducedv 'diameter and exteriorly threaded toV receive; the m7117742 fox-,holding the socket v.element upon a panel board 43. The/end of the stem 41 is recessed lto receivey the-wire 44;.and

solder 4`5.`y The washer 46 is. usedV by lmeto indicate color,cand is merely apiece of fiber of a color corresponding with the small surt face 47 on the plug member' whereby theper .son making the connections will have a guide In practical mark. Y suchsurfaces as 507and51..incFigsvltoA 5, inclusive with .f corresponding colorsifor thel for his operations.

same purpose..

lIn certain electricalworkv is-sometimes.ll f desirable to plug inf notonlywith-theffree i endof .a v,loose wire, but also'withfater-4 minal secured upon a panel board or the like, and in such instances ztheainterchangeand with the secured socket members shown respectively in Figs. 1 and 6 is of advantage.

I contemplate as being within these improvements such modifications and departures fromvwhat is herein specifically illustrated and described as fall within the scope of the appended -claimsw Y An electrical connection plug of the character described comprising in combination a relativelylon-g and narrow casing of insulatingy material having a cylindrical hollow interior" open" `at"one"n`d and adapted to receive ay socket element, a supporting member having a coaxial hole therethrough carried for readyy c rernovabilityYv within :and intermediatefthe: endsfof the-housing, .a @headed confJ Y tact stem` 1loosely. positioned 4,sai'd'fhole and extending? outward beyond l the supporting? i memberv and lyingqtoA a, largegextent, within i the housing and with VVitsl head onfithevffinner side of thesupportingmember, .the housing `having a holefor a conduit wire tio-extend to the. rhead Y of theVY contact stern, ,the housing Y vmember -having meansyfor holding ythe head the casing, a-c'ontact stem in the formof a cotterpin loosely positioned in saidy hole with the head of the stem on the inner `sideofr the, supporting membervand the legstheref of extending outwardlybeyondV the supporting member and -to a materially 'large extent lying within thecylindrical hollow interior f ofthe housing member, the housing having'y a hollow portion accommodating the head of la, thestemv and aportion holding the -headf against inward movement and having also c rien. @onstaan pigof the 10o i l `ac-passageway,in its end adjacent to said,k

head fory a conduit wire toI extend to the head of thestem.-

Y. e a HOWARD B. lJON-Es.

ability ofthe plug member'withthe free- 

